Coursera and the U.S. Department of State Launch Coursera for Refugees

Today, June 20, is World Refugee Day, and Coursera is honored and proud to mark the occasion with the official launch of our Coursera for Refugees program.

Created in partnership with the U.S. Department of State, Coursera for Refugees expands Coursera’s financial aid commitment from individual learners to nonprofits serving refugee populations. Specifically, the new program allows any nonprofit organization working with refugees to apply for comprehensive group financial aid for the populations they serve. Nonprofits will also have access to organizational support services such as learner engagement data, private communication forums, and dedicated Coursera technical support.

Inaugural Coursera for Refugees partners include the U.S. Department of State, Samaschool, Libraries Without Borders, Blue Rose Compass, and Institute of International Education (IIE). Nonprofits and the refugees they serve will be able to choose from any of the over 1,000 live courses and hundreds of Specializations on Coursera, including career-relevant courses and Specializations such as English for Business & Entrepreneurship (University of Pennsylvania), Career Success (University of California, Irvine), and Python for Everybody (University of Michigan). Inaugural partners have already planned innovative ways to use Coursera, such as the U.S. Department of State facilitating English courses for refugees in Lebanon, and Samaschool launching pilot technology training programs in Jordan and Kenya.

Lila Ibrahim, Coursera’s Chief Business Officer, feels that Coursera for Refugees represents an exciting step toward realizing Coursera’s vision of a world in which anyone, anywhere can transform their life through access to education.

“We know that one of the best ways to reach the people who need education opportunities the most is by working with organizations that understand the local needs,” Ibrahim says. “We’re excited to partner with these organizations to provide refugees with comprehensive support as they take Coursera courses – at no cost – on anything from English to Python programming.”

Rebecca Taber, Head of Government Partnerships at Coursera, added, “Nearly 60 million people worldwide are currently forcibly displaced. Coursera for Refugees is designed to provide as many of them as possible with greater access to education in career relevant skills, as they navigate new homes and difficult times in their lives.“

To learn more about Coursera for Refugees, please refer to our press release. If you’d like to explore a partnership between Coursera for Refugees and your nonprofit organization, learn more about individual financial aid for refugees, or provide support for this effort, visit https://refugees.coursera.org.”